Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's address on the occasion of 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji
Hare Krishna! Joining us today on this auspicious occasion are the country’s Culture Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy, the President of ISKCON Bureau, Shri Gopal Krishna Goswami ji, and all the fellow Krishna devotees from different countries of the world!
Day before yesterday, it was Sri Krishna Janmashtami and today we are celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada. It is as if both the happiness and contentment of accomplishment are merged together. This spirit is being experienced by millions of followers of Srila Prabhupada Swami and Krishna devotees all over the world. I can see all the saints from different countries on the screen. It is as if millions of minds are bound by one emotion and millions of bodies are connected by one common consciousness! This is the Krishna consciousness which has been spread by Prabhupada Swami ji to the entire world.
Friends,
We all know that Prabhupada Swami was not only a supernatural devotee of Krishna, but he was also a great devotee of Bharat. He fought in the freedom struggle of the country. He even refused to take his diploma from the Scottish College in support of the non-cooperation movement. Today it is a happy coincidence that the country is celebrating the 125th birthday of such a great patriot at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of its independence, the Amrit Mahotsav. Srila Prabhupada Swami always used to say that he is traveling in the countries because he wants to give India's most priceless treasure to the world. The spirit of the knowledge and science of India, the life culture and traditions that we have, is अथ-भूत दयाम् प्रति, i.e., for the welfare of the living entity only! इदम् न ममम् , i.e., ‘it is not mine’, is also the last mantra of our rituals. This is for the entire universe, for the benefit of the entire creation and that is why, Swami ji's revered Guruji Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ji saw that potential in him and instructed him to take the thought and philosophy of India to the world. Srila Prabhupada ji made this command of his Guru his mission, and the result of his efforts is visible in every corner of the world today.
In the Amrit Mahotsav also, India’s resolutions are based on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas in its onward journey. The spirit of global well-being is at the heart of these resolutions, at the core of our goals. And all of you are a witness to how necessary everyone's effort is for the fulfillment of these resolutions. If Prabhupada ji alone has given so much to the world then can you imagine the outcome if we all make concerted efforts with his blessings? We will definitely reach that peak of human consciousness from where we can play a bigger role in the world and spread the message of love to the masses.
Friends,
A great example of how much India can offer to the world in the interest of humanity is our knowledge and tradition of yoga spread all over the world! It is our resolve that the entire world should benefit from the sustainable lifestyle of India and the sciences like Ayurveda. India has made the mantra of self-reliance which Srila Prabhupada often used to talk about, and the country is moving forward in that direction. Many times when I talk about the goals of AatmaNirbhar Bharat and Make in India, I cite the examples of the success of ISKCON's Hare Krishna movement to my officers and businessmen. When we visit any country and when people greet us with 'Hare Krishna', we feel so much warmth and pride. Imagine how we would feel when we get this same affinity for Make in India products! We can also achieve these goals by learning from ISKCON.
Friends,
Lord Krishna had said to Arjuna – न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशम् पवित्र-मिह विद्यते
That is, there is nothing as holy as knowledge. After highlighting the supremacy of knowledge, he had said one more thing मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिम निवेशय, i.e., having attained the science of knowledge, devote your mind and intellect to Krishna. This faith and this force is also a yoga, which is called Bhakti Yoga in the 12th chapter of the Gita and the power of this Bhakti Yoga is enormous. The history of India is also a witness to this. When India was trapped in the deep abyss of slavery and was unable to concentrate on its knowledge and power due to injustice, oppression and exploitation, it was Bhakti that kept India's consciousness alive and its identity intact. Today scholars evaluate that if there was no social revolution of the Bhakti period, it is difficult to imagine where India would have been and in what form! But, in those difficult times, saints like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who held together our society with the spirit of devotion, gave the mantra of 'Faith to Self-confidence'. Bhakti ended discrimination of faith, social high and low, rights and wrongs and made a direct relation between Shiva and life.
Friends,
If you study the history of India, you will also find that sages and seers kept on appearing before the society in different periods, kept incarnating to hold on to this thread of devotion. If a sage like Swami Vivekananda propagated Vedas and Vedanta to the West, then Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON took up this great responsibility of propounding Bhakti Yoga to the world. He worked to connect Bhakti Vedanta with the consciousness of the world. This was no ordinary task. He started a global mission like ISKCON at the age of about 70, when people become inactive. This is a huge inspiration for our society and for every person. Many times we see people saying that age has advanced, otherwise, they would have done a lot! Or it is not the right age to do all these things? But Prabhupada Swami remained active for his resolutions from his childhood till his whole life. When Prabhupada ji went to America by sea, he was almost empty-pocket; he had only Gita and Shrimad Bhagwat! During the journey, he suffered heart attacks twice. When he reached New York, he did not have any arrangements for food and no place to stay. But what the world saw in the next 11 years, in the words of revered Atal ji, it was nothing less than a miracle.
Today there are hundreds of ISKCON temples in different countries of the world and a number of Gurukuls are keeping Indian culture alive. ISKCON has told the world that faith for India means zeal, enthusiasm and gaiety and faith in humanity. Today, people in different countries of the world are often seen doing ‘kirtan’ in Indian attire. The clothes are simple, there are instruments like ‘dholak’ and ‘manjira’ in their hands and they chant Hare Krishna, swaying in a spiritual peace. When people see them, they think that maybe there is some festival or event! But this ‘kirtan’, this event, is a way of life for us in our country. This joyful form of faith has been attracting people all over the world and is giving new hope to the stressed world today.
Friends,
Lord Krishna has said in the Gita:
अद्वेष्टा सर्व-भूतानांमैत्रः करुण एव च।
निर्ममोनिर-हंकारः सम दु:ख सुखः क्षमी॥
That is, one who loves only the living entity, has compassion and love for them, does not hate anyone, he is endearing to God. This mantra has been the basis of the thought of India for thousands of years. And our temples have been involved in giving social basis to this thinking. ISKCON temples have emerged as the modern centers of this tradition of service. I remember how ISKCON had stepped forward to serve the people when there was an earthquake in Kutch. Whenever there has been any calamity in the country, whether it is the tragedy of Uttarakhand or the devastation of cyclones in Odisha and Bengal, ISKCON has always lent its support to the society. Even in the Corona pandemic, you have been continuously arranging food and other requirements for millions of patients, their families and migrants. Apart from the pandemic, you continue the relentless campaign of providing free food and service to millions of poor. I am aware of the hospitals being built by ISKCON for Covid patients and how you are participating in the vaccine campaign. I wish ISKCON and all its devotees very best for this service.
Friends,
Today you are not only serving Krishna with the mantra of Satya, Seva and Sadhna, but also playing the role of brand ambassador of Indian ideals and values all over the world. The eternal ethos of India is: सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे संतु निरामयः . This idea has become the resolution of millions of people today through ISKCON. The love for God, and the vision of God in the living entity alone, is the way to the realization of this resolution. This is the path God has shown us in the Vibhuti Yoga chapter. We are hopeful that we will apply this mantra of 'वासुदेवः सर्वम्'  in our life and make human beings aware of this harmony. With this spirit, thank you all so much!
Hare Krishna!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.